This application relates to vacuum nozzles and more particularly for vacuum nozzles for cleaning underwater surfaces such as swimming pool bottoms.
A number of vacuum nozzles adapted for cleaning underwater surfaces such as swimming pool bottoms are known. One of the more demanding tasks which these nozzles are meant to perform is that of removing leaves and other debris from the bottom of such a pool. As will be discussed below, this task is a particularly difficult one when the pool to be cleaned is one which incorporates a flexible liner such as one of vinyl.
One presently known type of pool vacuum nozzle, which is adapted for picking up leaves, has a nozzle opening or mouth which, during use, is maintained in a position which is quite close to the floor of the pool. An example of such a nozzle is the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,056,779 of Davidson. Such a nozzle is not, however, suitable for use in cleaning a vinyl liner pool since the close proximity of its nozzle opening to the floor of the pool could tend to result in the vinyl liner of the pool being sucked into the nozzle opening thereby inhibiting free movement of the nozzle.
Another type of currently utilized pool vacuum nozzle combines the function of a brush with that of a vacuum nozzle. Examples of this type of nozzle are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,122 of Birdsall and U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,027 of Lindberg, Jr. This type of nozzle may be used to clean vinyl-liner pools because the only portions of such a nozzle which make contact with the liner are the bristles of the brush. Consequently, suction sufficient to suck the liner into the nozzle opening is not created. This type of nozzle is not, however, as effective for removing leaves and debris from pools as is the previously discussed type of nozzle since the leaves and debris become lodged in the bristles of the brush. The amount of such debris lodged in the bristles eventually builds up until the opening of the nozzle becomes clogged or constricted.